1. Technical Field
The following relates to video observation, surveillance and verification systems and methods of use. The specific application may work in conjunction with surveillance systems, street cameras, personal video, in-store camera systems, parking lot camera systems, etc. and is configured to provide real time and/or post time data analysis of one or more video streams.
2. Background of Related Art
Companies are continually trying to identify specific user behavior in order to improve the throughput and efficiency of the company. For example, by understanding user behavior in the context of the retail industry, companies can both improve product sales and reduce product shrinkage. Focusing on the latter, employee theft is one of the largest components of retail inventory shrink. Therefore, companies are trying to understand user behavior in order to reduce and ultimately eliminate inventory shrinkage.
Companies have utilized various methods to prevent employee shrinkage. Passive electronic devices attached to theft-prone items in retail stores are used to trigger alarms, although customers and/or employees may deactivate these devices before an item leaves the store. Some retailers conduct bag and/or cart inspections for both customers and employees while other retailers have implemented loss prevention systems that incorporate video monitoring of POS transactions to identify transactions that may have been conducted in violation of implemented procedures. Most procedures and technologies focus on identifying individual occurrences instead of understanding the underlying user behaviors that occur during these events. As such, companies are unable to address the underlying condition that allows individuals to commit theft.
Surveillance systems, street camera systems, store camera systems, parking lot camera systems, and the like are widely used. In certain instances, camera video is continually streaming and a buffer period of 8, 12, 24, 48 hours, for example, is used and then overwritten should a need not arise for the video. In other systems, a longer period of time may be utilized or the buffer is weeks or months of data being stored and saved for particular purposes. As can be appreciated, when an event occurs, the video is available for review and analysis of the video data. In some instances, the video stream captures data and analyzes various pre-determined scenarios based upon automatic, user input, or programming depending upon a particular purpose. For example, the video may be programmed to follow moving objects from entry into a store and throughout the store for inventory control and/or video monitoring of customers.
In other instances, police, FBI or rescue personal need to review the various camera systems in a particular area or arena for investigative purposes, e.g., to track suspects, for car accident review, or other video evidence necessary to their investigation. As is often the case, snippets of video from various camera systems throughout the area can be critical in piecing together a visual map of the event in question. In other scenarios, an individual's habits or behaviors may become suspicious and deserved of monitoring or tracking for real-time analysis and alerts and/or post time investigative analysis.
There exists a need to further develop this analytical technology and provide real time and post time analysis of video streams for security and investigative purposes and for marketing purposes.